Edward IV of England

Edward IV of England (28 April 1442-9 April 1483) was King of England from 4 March 1461 to 3 October 1470 (interrupting Henry VI's two reigns) and from 11 April 1471 to 9 April 1483 (succeeding Henry VI and preceding Edward V). Edward was the first Yorkist King of England, coming to power during the Wars of the Roses. He was briefly overthrown by King Henry VI in 1470, but his victory at the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471 allowed for him to return to the throne and reign peacefully until his death in 1483.

Biography
Edward IV was born in Rouen, France on 28 April 1442, the son of Richard of York and Cecily Neville. He bore the title Earl of March before his father's death, and he served as a Yorkist commander during the Wars of the Roses, landing at Kent in 1460 before going on to occupy London. His father was killed at Wakefield on 30 December 1460, leaving Edward as the head of the Yorkist faction. In March 1461, he proclaimed himself King of England, and he defeated the Lancastrians at the exceptionally bloody Battle of Towton in Yorkshire on 29 March 1461. After John Neville crushed the last of the Lancastrian resistance at Hexham in 1464, Edward was briefly able to rule in peace. In 1469, he was captured in an uprising by Yorkist nobles who were offended by the abrupt rise of the Woodville family, but he was soon released. In 1470, Henry VI was briefly restored to the throne, and Edward was forced into exile in Flanders. In 1471, he returned with an army, recaptured London, imprisoned Henry, and defeated the Lancastrians at the Battle of Tewkesbury, and Henry died as Edward re-entered London. The Lancastrian line was virtually extinguished, apart from Henry Tudor, who was living in exile. Edward decided to embark on invasions of France in 1475 and Scotland in 1482, both of which failed. Edward died from pneumonia at Westminster, Middlesex in 1483.